Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-08-26
A PATENT HOUSE.
Wonderful Arrangement or
Mr.. DickerSOn'S Home.

One of the most remarkable houses
in this or any other country is that
of Mr.. +. N. Dickerson, the million,
aire patent LAWYER of New York, who
is as remarkable man in his gay as
his house is among others. He il
over six feet tall and is stout and &C
tive, the very picture of health and
intellectually, with a grave, kind
face and exceedingly gentle manner
He is profoundly versed in oil the
sciences, and in building this house
he determined to make it as perfect o
dwelling-place as money, brains and
science and good taste could accom-
plish.
The house is on Thirty fourth
street, near Fourth avenue, and seen
from the outside is a quiet but large
brow nstone building, and it sets
close to the ground, having but one
or two steps to reach the hall door.
On the left side of the hall is a small
reception-room, furnished elegant tly
in every detail, and with several
handsome paintings; among them,
one representing an inventor, poor
and distressed, showing an invention
to rich man well fed and sleek, tilted
back in his chair and wearing look
of disdain for the poor inventor who
is trying to explain the merits Of bis
model.
The interior of the hall is finished
in dark wood and the floor is of inlaid
wood over a floor of solid concrete.
The staircase is wide ard of polished
wood; carved and massive bannisters
support wide hand rail, and each
newell post and there is one on each
landing-holds o gas lamp. which,
like all the burners in the houas, is
lighted by electricity.
On the left side of the lower hail is
a row of little closets, one for each
member of the family, for wraps, hats
and umbrellas.
The light for this hall comes from
the roof, the stairs turning in sucn
way as to give square well of light
which is shed through beautifully
colored window. The ceiling is of
carved wood, the heavy beams sup
porting another floor of concrete, and
these in turn others, so that the whole
house is made absolutely fre-proof
No wall is hollow, and there is no
possibility of fire, unless little wood
work in one room might burn, but it
could not communicate to another
one.
The billiard and sewing-rooms are
on the ground floor also. The bill
liard-room is beautifully fitted up and
has on two sides a raised divan so
that the ladies can have full view of
every game. Above the mantel-
piece is carved oak head of, l think,
Andrew Jackson, which was sawed
off the bow of one of the United
States frigates by a sailor one night
in revenge for some reason of his
own. In this billiard room are por.
traits of several of Mr.. Dickerson's
who were chief justices,
colonial governors and governors of
New Jersey, and who held other
prominent positionl.
The parlors are beautifully furnish
ed in a manner entirely unlike any
others have seen. There are four
cabinets, each of them representing
the finest lacquered work in the
world, each representative pieces of
French, japanese, Chinese and Eng.
lish handicraft, and each is filled with
priceless pottery and exquisite works
of the carver's art. On the chimney
is blue and silver candelabra which
once belonged to famous but unfor-
tunate French Queen. The walls
are made of the most delicately carv-
ed satin-wood, and upon the little
tables are albums and volumes con-
tanning the rarest engrayings, etch-
ings and prints.
The ceiling is painted in cream and
blue, and a large circular ornament in
the centre which sustains the elegant
and graceful chandelier is of open
work iron and is in point of fact a
ventilator. Of the chairs and sofas,
divans and tapestry l can remember
next to nothing; therefore their har-
mony with the surroundings must be
perfect and unobtrusive. The wide
hallway is fitted up as q sort of outer
parlor, with magnificent pictures, di-
vans. piano and large organ, and
beautiful rugs and statues and little
cabinets with rare and fine potter
immense vases, and, in short, every
beauty money or taste could suggest,
all well chosen and placed with cor.
rect judgement, each article exactly
where it seems to belong of right.
The parlors and dining-room are on
the second floor, and also large sit
ting or morning-room. The dining
room has been considered so remarka-
BILE that an illustrated description of
it was published in Harper's Maga-
zine. In this room are specimens of
the finest porcelain extant, and other
antiquities, some of which are over
800 years old. The ceiling is in
stamped leather, and there two screens
which are marvels of Chinese and Ja-